The Mere Barter

Mae's family faces the threat of losing their home and business, leading her to seek help from the only man that can help: the cold-hearted billionaire to whom her family owes a debt. But when she is face to face with the billionaire, she recognizes him as the stranger she had a brief, sizzling encounter with, a night of fun that left her with a bittertaste of rejection, after he had dismissed her as nothing more than a one night stand. Ethan Crowe has had his full of charlatans and social climbers. When he finds Mae in his office, he remembers her as one of them but her appearance presents an opportunity to fulfill his own agenda. With his grandfather's ultimatum of marriage looming, Ethan strikes a deal with Mae. Despite their mutual animosity, they agree to a marriage of convenience to meet their respective needs. As they navigate the charade of love, can they fool the world and Ethan's grandfather, while adhering to the terms of their arrangement?

Todd Vandenberg was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. After his parents died in an accident when he was very young, his Grandfather took him in. Grooming him to one day take over the family company, Vandenberg Pharmaceuticals. Now in his late twenties, he spends his time at clubs and in the bed of a different woman every night. In an attempt to make his wayward grandson change his promiscuous ways, he offers him a deal. Marry within six months’ time; if not, you will be cut off. His friend tells him about a site on the dark web where women auction themselves as brides to the highest bidder. Is this the easy way out he was looking for, or could it lead to something more? Amelia McLeary is a struggling college student, determined to break into the tech industry. As a woman, the odds are already stacked against her, but add to that her ever-growing medical debt because of her diabetes and the ailing health of her aunt, and she finds herself having to choose between giving up her dream or letting her only family die. Knowing there has to be another way, she overhears some fellow students talking about a site on the dark web. Having never had luck with relationships , why not have a contract one instead? What she never expected was for the man that won her bid to be the infamous playboy and the heir to the very company that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Why not make him pay? Or could fate be trying to change both their lives forever?

My family was supposed to be the richest of the land, yet I had to refund even a cheap delivery. Why? In my previous life, my housekeeper's daughter got her hands on a trading system. Every cent of money I spent would be hers. She started trying to guilt-trip me into donating to all the impoverished students in her school. It was charity anyway, so I signed a check worth 300 grand. The moment I did, that money became part of her savings, and the amount on my check was zero. Everyone called me names, called me a charlatan. Even the boy toy I spent good money on broke up with me. That girl used my money to donate to charities and became the kind and beautiful heiress. She told everyone I was the housekeeper's daughter instead. Furious, I grabbed my black card and started shopping like crazy. I wanted to prove I was the real heiress, but the balance in my account was cleared immediately. That girl then spent 1.2 million right away, like it was one dollar. She scoffed at me. "Don't try to act like you're rich when you're a broke loser. Your mother doesn't make enough as a housekeeper." The Internet decided to hunt me down. I could not handle the stress, and my mind broke. For some reason, my body withered away at a blistering rate. Before my father could save me, I drew my last breath. When I opened my eyes again, I returned to that fateful day. The day the housekeeper's daughter made me donate to the school.

The Crown’s Bargain Emilia Valoria has spent her life in the shadows of her royal lineage, content to be overlooked as the second princess of the Kingdom of Avariel. But when her elder sister defies tradition and elopes, Emilia is thrust into the spotlight, forced to fulfill the royal obligation her sister abandoned: an arranged marriage to the stoic and enigmatic Prince Kael of Arindale. Determined to protect her kingdom from the fragile alliance's collapse, Emilia reluctantly agrees to the union. However, her first encounter with Kael proves more tumultuous than she expected—his cold demeanor hides a kingdom scarred by betrayal, and his heart, she suspects, is locked away behind impenetrable walls. As Emilia navigates the intrigue of a foreign court, political machinations threaten to tear the kingdoms apart. Bound by duty but drawn together by fleeting moments of vulnerability, Emilia and Kael must decide whether their marriage will remain a mere contract or evolve into something neither of them dared to hope for: love. Caught between loyalty to her kingdom and the desires of her heart, Emilia must find her voice in a world that demands silence, proving that even in an arranged marriage, she has the power to rewrite her own destiny.

To help cover our household expenses, I often sold second-hand items online. Late one night, a new listing suddenly appeared under my husband's account. [Private trainer for sale. Almost new. Obedient and resilient. No upkeep required. Cash only.] The attached photo showed a woman from behind, caught in the middle of a yoga pose. The red mole at her waist stood out clearly. It was me. The comments section erupted within seconds. Men with usernames like 'LocalHunter' started bidding aggressively. [Five hundred. Thirty minutes. Pickup only. No negotiations.] [Are you kidding? Two thousand. All night. I'll bring my own gear.] My husband immediately replied to the highest bidder: Adrian 'The Butcher' Kane. [Deal. She's in the bedroom. The door isn't locked. Go straight in.] In the next moment, the bedroom doorknob slowly began to turn from the other side.

"This marriage is nothing more than a business deal so don't expect anything more from me" Those were the words my husband threw at me the minute we got married. How do you make an arranged marriage work when your husband has a mistress who has threatened to kick you out? Hazel Reyes found her world turned upside down when she learnt that her father was on his deathbed and that she must marry a stranger as his last dying wish. Atticus Hayland, the brute force of the capitalist world, received an offer to marry a billionaire's daughter for rights to his company. Atticus intends to marry her before tossing her aside, but he is surprised to learn that his new wife will not allow him to use her for her company rights when she demands respect and for him to get rid of all his mistresses. Will Hazel succeed in becoming Atticus's only woman, or will she be tossed out by the other woman?